Imagine me when you are lonely
by WritingNox
Summary: -Based on a prompt from imaginethehaikyuukids tumblr- Tsukishima is Yamaguchi's imaginary friend. -ONESHOT-


Yamaguchi knew that he would never measure up. He understood that it was his fault when he was picked on by his classmates, convinced that if he had only tried a little harder that he would have been welcomed by them. He knew that he would never have any real friends, so it came as a shock one day when a tall blonde boy with glasses stood up for him, picking on those who picked on him.

"_He's not doing anything, the big baby! We should leave before we get in trouble!" Boys scampered off from the child staring vacantly ahead. The small boy stared into nothing before he smiled, scampering off the playground happily._

"So, Tsukki, where are we going now?" Yamaguchi asked, watching the other boy as he listened to music. Tsukishima clucked his tongue in exasperation.

"I already told you not to call me that." He said, then rolled his eyes. "I already told you, we're going to highschool to see what the big deal is with the volleyball club." Yamaguchi grinned.

"Okay, Tsukki! Oops, sorry." Another roll of the eyes and the two made their way to the gym.

"_Hello! I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi! It's nice to meet you." The freckled boy said, bowing. He paused and hissed something under his breath, which if you were listening closely, you could hear the 'it's impolite not to bow, Tsukki!'. Sugawara smiled gently at the young boy._

"_It's nice to know that we'll be having such an enthusiastic boy in our club this year!" Yamaguchi straightened up, smiling at his new senpai._

"_I'm glad that you think so! We'll work hard!" Suga frowned slightly at the word choice, but then shrugged. It wasn't his place to point it out._

"So, what do you think of the other kids in our club?" Tsukishima sighed.

"The tiny kid is impossible to deal with, and the king makes me want to rip my hair out." Yamaguchi laughed, scrunching his nose and closing his eyes in a way that made the blonde boy's lips twitch upwards.

"Ah, Tsukki, you're so funny sometimes!"

"_Ah, sorry Tsukki!" Yamaguchi said, rubbing the back of his neck. Kageyama looked at him from across the court, eyes narrowing in concern. Who was Yamaguchi talking to? He looked over at Hinata, who shrugged. It had been like this since they had first gotten to meet the strange freckled boy. Every now and then he would seem to space out, then laugh slightly. Everyone had just assumed that it was something that he just did, but the first year duo still couldn't help but wonder..._

"Why does no one ever laugh at your jokes besides me?" The dark haired boy wondered aloud. Tsukki looked up from where he was writing something in a notebook.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just too intimidating for the king to handle. And that shrimp would probably die of fright if we ever talked to each other." Yamaguchi smiled.

"I guess you're right. You always are!"

_Eventually, everyone at Karasuno had gotten used to the strange habits of their fellow first year. Hinata would begin to ask Yamaguchi certain things about the person he always seemed to be talking too and he would begin to answer, then cut himself off with a "sorry, Tsukki" and then change the subject. Kageyama would stare aggressively at the empty spaces that Yamaguchi talked to, wondering if there wasn't something there that he was missing. Sugawara would shower praise and scold the boy, making sure not be too hard on him._

_No matter how they looked at it, whoever this Tsukishima was, he was good for Yamaguchi. He seemed to keep him balanced and would always snap him out of one of his moods._

Yamaguchi had finally snapped, yelling at his friend about how he was the one acting pathetic, and how he should step up and accept what was happening instead of retreating into himself as he had begun to do. Tsukishima stared at him in shock.

"You're finally growing up." He said, much to the confusment of the other boy.

"Wh-what? Tsukki, what are you talking about?" Tsukishima sighed, the expression on his face striking at Yamaguchi's heart.

"Yamaguchi Tadashi. All through your life you have thought of yourself as lower than everyone else, that you were pathetic and that you didn't belong. Then when I came along, I was better than everyone. I was smarter, cooler, and always had the last word in a conversation. I would stand up to everyone who dared look down at me, as you had always wished you could. Don't you see? I'm what you wished to be. I'm who you strived to become in life. And now, finally, you're growing out of your shell. You're becoming your own person. I'm... glad." Yamaguchi felt his heart pound as the words spilled from the blonde's mouth.

"Tsukki, I don't... I don't understand! What are you saying?" Tsukishima smiled sadly, his face becoming blurred through the tears welling up in the freckled boy's eyes.

"It's time for me to go, Yamaguchi. You're doing fine on your own. Soon you won't need me at all, and you won't miss me once I leave." Yamaguchi felt his lip tremble as he fought back the tears, willing himself not to cry.

"D-don't leave me, Tsukki." He whispered, his voice wavering with all the emotions hidden in that one statement.

"It's alright, Yamaguchi. If you ever really need me, I'll be there. Just try not to need me too much, okay? It would get pretty boring if you never left my side. Try to branch out a little." Yamaguchi nodded, not trusting himself to speak again. He threw his arms around the tall figure, biting his lip in an effort to keep from crying.

"Okay. Sorry, Tsukki." Two arms looped around him, squeezing him tightly and then disappeared. Tsukishima pulled away from him, smirking one last time before he turned and walked away.

"_-guchi... Yamaguchi, are you alright?" _Yamaguchi turned to see a silver blur before warm arms embraced him, one hand rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"Shh, it's alright. It's going to be okay, Yamaguchi." Yamaguchi let his tears fall as he clenched the back of his team mother's shirt.

"I d-don't know i-if I'm ok-kay!" He sobbed, breaking down in the warm embrace. "He's g-gone. Tsu-tsukki's g-gone and... and I d-d-don't know wh-what to d-do!" He wailed, burying his face in Suga's chest. One of the hands moved up from his back and began to pet his hair.

"It's going to be alright. You still have us. And I bet that this Tsukki will come back once they realize how big of a mistake they've made." Yamaguchi shuddered, sobbing a bit more before his tears reduced themselves to sniffles. He pulled back from the hug, wiping at his eyes.

"You're right... I shouldn't be such a big baby. O-okay. Let's go!" Sugawara smiled gently as he noticed that Yamaguchi was shaking, but kept the information to himself.

"Let's go, Yamaguchi. Everyone else is waiting for us!"


End file.
